Family-run market opens in Cornwall

CORNWALL — DeCicco Family Markets opened for business in Cornwall on Friday morning.

BY Michael Randall

CORNWALL — DeCicco Family Markets opened for business in Cornwall on Friday morning.

A few shoppers took advantage when the store opened early because of the coming snowstorm.

Then, shortly after 9 a.m., the official time for the grand opening, a steady stream of shoppers filed into Cornwall's newest — and only — supermarket. Before long, shoppers pushing carts were wall-to-wall in the checkout and produce areas.

And most liked what they saw.

"It's beautiful. I love it," said Kathy Fitzgerald of Cornwall, who said she's disabled and prefers not to have to travel to one of the markets in Vails Gate a few miles north. "It's easy for me to come here."

Shoppers seemed to be a mix of those who were stocking up before the storm, those who regularly do their grocery shopping on Friday, and the curious who came just to check out the new place.

It was not the first time the arrival of a major storm coincided with the opening of a DeCicco's market.

"The last store we opened (in Cross River) was just before Hurricane Irene," owner Frank DeCicco said.

The family-run supermarket chain already operates 10 stores in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties. This is their first foray into Orange County.

The location on Quaker Avenue in Cornwall has been home to a supermarket for more than 50 years: first a Grand Union, then Key Foods, and most recently Cornwall Farms, which closed in October after being open less than two years.

While DeCicco's, like its predecessors, will rely heavily on Cornwall for its customer base, it already seems to have fans in neighboring communities.

A Newburgh man who only identified himself as Leonard A. said that before this, he's been shopping regularly at DeCicco's store in Brewster, in Putnam County.

"This saves me a 25-mile ride," he said as he pushed a cart full of groceries to his car.

mrandall@th-record.com

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